


Puppy Love

by kissontheneck



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: Cookleta, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-21
Updated: 2009-03-21
Packaged: 2017-10-05 16:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissontheneck/pseuds/kissontheneck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David has a little trouble with his babysitting charge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

> Haha, written for **retice** (LJ) who had a similar experience.

"Okay, no puppy. No. NO!"

_Yip!_

David glared at the small black puppy staring up at him with its almost evil black eyes. Evil because he couldn't see the whites of them, the pupils blended seamlessly into its face. David sighed and asked himself again why he had agreed to watch this dog for two days while Cook went upstate for a last minute gig. He'd not really had a lot of experience with dogs, and he'd told Cook so and begged him to pawn him off onto Kyle or Joey or someone. They seemed like dog people, he thought.

"Arch, Kyle and Joey are going with me, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

And so here he was, and they had actually made it through the first night relatively unscathed and David was just praying that the next twenty-four hours would be at least as good. Really, the dog wasn't so bad, David reasoned. After all, he was just a puppy. But David maybe just felt a little nervous about the fact that it was _Cook's_ puppy and that he didn't want to do anything wrong with _Cook's_ puppy and he sort of felt like every breath that _Cook's_ puppy took was one that just might be the last one and then how would he feel?

"Oh! Dublin! Dublin, no! BAD DOG!"

It was during this panicked inner monologue that Dublin had wandered away from David's feet, sniffing at a particularly interesting square inch of carpet right in the middle of Cook's living room. And then peed.

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh." David scooped up the dog with one hand, realizing too late that the small little creature was _still_ peeing.

"AHHHHH!!" David rushed the little ball of fur into the kitchen and dropped him into the empty sink. Dublin shivered and whimpered as he looked sadly up at David. For a fleeting second David felt bad, but that was before he realized his shirt was soaked in dog urine.

"Oh, my gosh! You -- dang it!" He looked desperately from his shirt, to Dublin to the carpet and back to his shirt. "You... you stay _right here_, do you hear me?" Dublin yipped.

David grabbed a hand towel from off the counter and cringed at how his shirt was sticking to his torso now as he rushed to the living room and threw the towel down at the floor. He looked at it a moment as if it might jump up and bite him. He was thankful when his panic subsided long enough for his brain to tell him to stand on the towel to avoid touching it (which he so desperately did _not_ want to have to do). Once sufficiently soaked up, David dashed off to Cook's bedroom to find a shirt he could change into, peeling off his own along the way and letting it drop somewhere in the hallway.

Not really taking the time to look for a fashionable shirt, David grabbed a folded t-shirt on the bed and pulled it over his head. He was distracted for a brief second by how it smelled like Cook, sort of musky and dirty, even though it was obviously a newly laundered shirt.

When David returned to the kitchen he found Dublin had hopped out of the sink and was standing on the counter, sniffing at the coffee pot.

"Ack! No!"

Dublin jumped and nearly slipped back into the sink. David grabbed the dog leash hanging by the door (a leash that was extremely too long, David felt, for such a small animal) and again swept up the dog, attaching the leash to Dublin's collar.

"We're going outside," David announced, gently letting the dog onto the floor before making sure he had his keys in his pocket. "Let's go."

Dublin followed David eagerly to the door and even out into the porch, but as David started descending the five steps down to the lawn, he found himself at the end of a tight lead. He turned and looked back behind him, the tiny puppy sitting resolutely still at the top of the steps.

"Come on, Dublin, time to go potty... outside." He tugged lightly on the leash. Dublin didn't move.

"Look," David reasoned, "I know you just peed up there... and on me...and _everywhere_," he continued tugging the leash, "but we are doing this, okay? I'll show you how if I have to."

Dublin cocked his head as if he were genuinely interested in seeing David do so, almost as if he were challenging him.

"Come _on_," David said again and tugged a little too hard on the leash this time. The puppy's small body lunged forward at the force and to David's complete horror, tumbled down the steps, tail over head and over again.

David stopped breathing. The yelp that came from the frail creature made David's heart stop too and he tried to dive to keep the dog from smashing into the concrete walkway. He was too late, however, and he saw, in horrifying slow motion, as the dog's tiny little leg got caught up underneath it before its body landed full against it.

"Oh!"

David was quick to pick up the dog, who was now wailing in agony. He held his paw aloft in a way that David felt one might if their wrist was broken.

_Oh no._

"No, Dublin, shhh. SHHHH. It's... you're okay." He tried to examine the puppy's paw, but when he tried to touch it, Dublin only cried louder.

"Oh, my gosh, I broke you." David clapped his free hand over his mouth as soon as he'd said it. "Oh no, _I broke you._"

David had no idea what he should do, but his feet seemed to be saying, "Go back inside and stop standing out here like an idiot before people passing by think you're murdering that dog." David obeyed and almost tripped on his way back up the stairs, again sending the fear of dropping the dog coursing through his heart.

"What do I do, Dublin?" David felt a little silly asking the dog for advice, however he didn't really have anyone else to turn to. "Oooh, Dublin, please stop crying." He tried to delicately squeeze the dog against his chest, hopefully in comfort. Dublin only continued to wail.

Pacing the floor of the kitchen, he without thinking started rocking the dog in his arms. He wasn't really sure if this warranted a trip to the emergency vet, and he really didn't want to have to go there even if it did. He could only imagine how the conversation at the vet would go.

"How did this happen, young man?"

"Oh, I just shoved him down a flight of stairs is all."

However, Dublin's cries were unrelenting and he swallowed hard as he realized he would have to do _something_. He finally decided he would bite the bullet and call Cook, though he was almost more willing to go to the emergency vet than do that even. He fumbled his phone out of his pocket.

The phone rang several times before a familiar non-Cook voice answered.

"Hey, hey."

"Kyle?"

"Yes, sir, what's up? Dave's in the boy's room at the moment, he'll be right out."

"Kyle, I broke the dog."

"You what?"

"I... I broke the dog, can't you hear him?"

"What happened, kiddo?"

David was somehow calmed by Kyle's ease and control. It was exactly what he needed at that moment.

"I... he fell down the front steps. His... I think his paw his hurt."

"Oh, honey, just... wow, he sounds miserable. Did you try -- oh, hey, wait, here's Dave for you."

"Hello?"

"CookohmygoshIbrokethepuppy."

"Whoa, slow down, buddy, what happened? Is that Dublin I hear?"

David closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Dublin was still holding his paw in the air and was now whimpering from his throat.

"Dave, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I--"

"David! Slow down! I'm sure he's okay, just slow down and tell me."

"I was taking him outside," David said, his breathing shallow, "and he wouldn't follow me, right? So I kind of tugged on his leash... I didn't realize... and he fell down... down the steps and..." A lump caught in David's throat as the vision replayed in his mind. Hot tears started to sting the corners of his eyes.

"Oh, my God, David."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. If you hate me, it's okay, I'll pay for anything he needs, do you think I should take him to--"

Cook's voice came back concerned, but calmer than David's. "No, David, just hang tight okay? I'll come home right now."

"What?"

"It's only two hours, I'll come back tonight."

"But your gig."

"It was an afternoon appearance, buddy, we were just staying overnight again so we wouldn't be driving home tired late in the evening is all."

"Oh." David was gripping his phone so tightly that his hand was sweating. He loosened his grip for fear of breaking yet another thing in his possession.

"I'll come back right away," Cook repeated. "Just... keep him close to you, okay? Comfort him?"

"I'm trying."

"Close to your neck, he likes that." Cook's voice had lowered and David heard shuffling as if maybe Cook was trying to move to a more private place to talk. "And uh, Davey?"

"Yes?"

"Sing to him."

David stopped pacing and pressed the phone closer against his ear.

"What's that?"

"Will you sing to him? It'll calm him down."

"O... okay," David stammered, sort of not believing what he was agreeing to.

"Thanks. I'll be there in a little while, okay?"

"Okay."

David clicked off the phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He resumed pacing before he remembered what Cook had told him to do. Was he insane? Was he really going to do what Cook had just instructed him to do? Was it really going to work?

He nuzzled the small fluff of black fur up underneath his chin and miraculously, Dublin's wails quieted to a muffled whimper.

"This is insane," David said, unbelieving. "Well, little guy, what sort of... what sort of music do you like?" He paused, rolling his eyes at himself asking the dog his music preferences.

"Um..." David sang the first thing that came to his mind. "... I hung up the phone tonight, something happened for the first time..."

Dublin's whining grew louder against David's throat.

"Ookaaay." David tried again. "It never crossed my mind at all... that's what I tell myself..."

The puppy squirmed in David's hands, again audibly whimpering.

"Geez, you're a tough audience," David said, annoyed. "I don't know what to do for you. Oh, would it help if... maybe you like Cook's songs more..."

David was starting to wonder if he was dreaming this whole experience and whether he would wake up soon because it was like Dublin really understood what he was saying as he nuzzled down against David's collarbone again.

Clearing his throat, David took a moment to remember the opening lines of any of Cook's songs. Softly he sang out, "Never really said too much... afraid it wouldn't be enough..." He glanced down to see Dublin actually resting his hurt paw against David's chest and he smirked in sheer amazement. "Try to keep my spirits up when there's no point in grieving..."

David unhooked Dublin's leash from his collar as he made his way over to the couch in the living room and continued to gently sing. "Try to leave a light on when I'm gone..." He adjusted one of the squashy pillows and lowered himself against it. "... Something I rely on to get home..." He slouched against the couch's arm rest so that Dublin could lay completely flat on his chest. "One I can feel at night, a naked light..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "A fire to keep me warm..."

The last thing David remembered was the sight of Dublin's adorably stark black eyes gently falling closed just moments before his own.

~*~*~

David was awoken by the harsh click of the front door, followed by heavy footsteps and half-shouted words. "Archie? Are you here? I told you not to take him to the vet until I saw him!"

"Shh, Dave, I'm in here," David whispered, daring not move the tiny creature resting on his chest.

A second later, Cook's surprised scruffy face appeared above him and smirked. "Aww, look at you two. And you didn't want to watch him."

"If I weren't watching him," David said defensively, "he wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place."

"Ooh, look at Daddy's sweet little boy all asweep on Papa D's chest." Cook carefully picked up the little bundle of fur and nuzzled him against his face, kissing him on the top of the head before carrying him across the room and gently placing him into the tiny dog bed by the chair Cook sat in to do his crossword puzzles.

"Looks like I came back for nothing," Cook said, crossing back to the couch and sitting on the the edge of it just at David's waist.

"I'm sorry," David said, propping himself up on his elbows.

"It's okay. Hey, what's that in your hand?"

David looked down to realize he was still gripping Dublin's leash in his hand from when he'd removed it just before slumping back on the couch.

"Oh, I didn't realize I still..."

"Lemme see that," Cook said, eyes squinting into a mischievous smile. He took the length of leash from David's hand and folded it in half before pulling hard on either end, causing the two halves of the leash to snap together sharply and making David jump.

"Hey, you're wearing my shirt," Cook observed, snapping the leash again.

"Oh," David stuttered, looking down at it. It was only now that he realized that the black t-shirt had small glittery letters on it, spelling out "C is for Cookie".

"Yeah, Dublin had a... an accident."

Cook laughed, eyes squinting closed. "_On_ you?"

"It's not funny," David replied, smoothing his hand down his chest. "It was... sort of traumatic."

"Mmm," Cook hummed, still twisting the leash in his hands. "Poor baby." Cook's tone was changing, and the look in his sultry eyes became pleasantly familiar to David. "Let Daddy take care of you," he said smoothly as he leaned forward into David's space. He suddenly hooked the length of leash around David's shoulders, drawing it up so that it pulled against the back of his neck. In response, David groaned as Cook gently pulled him closer, the leash digging into flesh.

"I kind of like the look of this leash on your neck, Archie," Cook said, wrapping the leash around the palms of his hands in order to slowly draw David closer. "Maybe I'll have to look for one for you."

"That... that's sort of weird, Dave," David responded, though he was giving in to the gentle pulling and his eyelids drooped as his face was nearly touching Cook's.

"Is it?" Cook asked, but didn't give David time to answer. He licked his lips before pushing them firmly against David's. David laced his fingers through Cook's belt loops in order to give himself some more stability, and Cook responded by getting up and straddling himself over David, being sure to press himself purposefully against David's hips.

David drew in a breath of air and Cook caught his lips again. They kissed for several minutes before David was jolted out of his dreamy state by a familiar squealing sound. Dublin had awoken and was whimpering quietly. David sighed in disappointment.

"Shhh," Cook cooed as he dismounted his lover. "Quiet now, Dubs." He pulled on David's hand to get him to stand up from the couch. "Sleepy night night time, okay?" Dublin tilted his head towards his owner. "Sleepy night night, Dubs." The dog laid down, chin on his front feet and watched the two boys. Cook took David by the hand and loosely wrapped the leash around his wrist. Then, taking up the ends of it, he tugged gently and David's feet lurched forward.

"As for you... Daddy's not done with you yet." Cook eyed David seductively before trailing him along down the long hallway, the final sound being the bedroom door clacking shut in earnest.


End file.
